


Bearnapped!

by orphan_account



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Emmy being awesome, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, parental Emmy and Layton, parental substitutes, playground teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-18
Updated: 2012-11-18
Packaged: 2017-11-18 22:19:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Luke has lost something precious. Emmy gets it back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bearnapped!

**Author's Note:**

> Plot bunny which roamed into my head in the night.

“How’s he doing?”

The Professor looked up as Emmy quietly closed the door behind her. He put a finger to his lips in the universal “shush” gesture, canting his head in Luke’s direction, and Emmy nodded, noticing that the young apprentice was fast asleep on the couch. She padded over in stocking-feet, and gently fixed the boy’s blanket. Luke didn’t stir as she caressed his hair, his eyes and nose still red from crying earlier that afternoon.

Emmy sighed softly and shook her head. This had begun at school, in the playground, when one of Luke’s classmates had taken his teddy from him. Not a big deal, you would have thought, but when the teddy – and Luke’s reaction – had earned the young boy the scorn of his peers, it had quickly devolved into a fight – a fight which Luke had lost.

Emmy had come to collect him from school after receiving a call from the office – with the Professor in lectures, it had fallen to her to do so. She had been alarmed by the bleeding nose (nothing broken, mercifully) and dirt stains, and demanded to know what had actually happened. Luke wouldn’t tell her. He couldn’t even meet her gaze. One of the office staff had to fill her in. Naturally, she had been horrified, and Luke could only nod miserably upon being asked if the story was true.

Luke was silent on the way back to the brownstone building that was Layton’s abode and office, and barely even spoke to her as she cleaned his wounds. The Professor happened to walk in on the scene, and things were said, and… little Luke had gone to pieces. Wrapped up in the Professor’s arms, the boy explained the situation as best he could – the teddy, the mocking, the fight – and Layton had just listened. Something in his eyes told Emmy that he was quietly furious that his apprentice had been treated this way at school, that he was slightly disappointed but hardly surprised by Luke’s reaction, and determined that something would need to be done. As they met each other’s gaze, Emmy had given a barely perceptive nod, gotten to her feet, and headed through to the office to begin making phone-calls.

Of course, her first call was to the school to confirm Luke’s side of the story. Getting them to admit that maybe, just maybe, Luke had been goaded was like pulling teeth, but eventually, the truth won out, and she was directed to the other boy’s mother for resolution. The mother had listened as Emmy filled her in, and then, despite a hand shielding the phone, she was heard calling for her son to bring his bag to her. Opening the bag, there indeed was the teddy bear. A brief moment of stunned, horrified silence. Questions. Then, her attention was back to Emmy, tripping over apologies and statements of horror and embarrassment that her son would do something like this. An exchange of addresses – the bear would be brought over right away. Emmy had thanked her profusely before hanging up.

Emmy caught Layton’s gaze as he watched her gentle, comforting movements of stroking Luke’s hair. His expression was one of weary sorrow. She reached across and squeezed Layton’s hand.

“It’ll be all right,” Emmy whispered softly. “I don’t think this will be happening again any time soon.”

Layton shook his head. “I hope not, Emmy,” he murmured, his voice barely above a low growl. “If only for Luke’s sake more than ours.”

Emmy nodded, and then perked up as the doorbell rang. Layton went to get to his feet, and Emmy shook her head. “I’ll get it,” she told him quietly, gesturing him to stay seated.

“Thank you,” Layton nodded deliberately to express his appreciation.

At the front door, a contrite-looking woman and a boy of Luke’s age stood waiting for Emmy. She guessed the woman to be the boy’s mother, Mrs. Shaw. The young boy looked distinctly uncomfortable, but it was hard to feel anything near sympathy, considering what he had put Luke through.

“Please, come in,” Emmy gestured with her hand into the hallway, and stepped aside, opening the door further to allow them entrance.

Mrs. Shaw presented the stolen teddy bear. “I believe this belongs to Luke.”

“Thank you,” Emmy nodded, taking the bear, and wrapping it in her arms, as if to embrace it. Mrs. Shaw smiled.

“I’m terribly sorry for what you’ve been through this evening, Miss Altava, and for my son’s behaviour. You can rest assured, this won’t be happening again,” Mrs. Shaw glanced at her son, pointedly adding, “will it, Steven?”

“No.” The boy – Steven – didn’t even bother to meet Emmy’s gaze as he spoke. Mrs. Shaw cleared her throat. Steven stole a quick glare at her, and then fished in his pocket for a letter. “Uhm, lady—“

“That’s _Miss Altava_ to you,” Emmy interrupted sternly.

Steven seemed to flinch slightly at the abrupt response, but continued. “Yeah, uhm… Miss Altava… this is for Luke. Can you give it to him?”

“Steven!” His mother scolded.

“What?” Steven complained, snapping at last. “I gave her the letter!”

Mrs. Shaw sighed, rolling her eyes. “So help me, when your father gets home…” Looking to Emmy, she added, “he means ‘please’.”

Emmy nodded. “Add another magic word, and I might just put in a good word with Luke and the Professor.”

The boy nodded miserably. “Thank you.”

Emmy finally tore her gaze away from Steven’s face, addressing his mother. “Thank you for doing this, and I’m so sorry your day has to end this way.”

“Believe me, dear, I’m even sorrier to have to darken your doorstep with it,” Mrs. Shaw sighed. “Well, come along Steven – I’m sure those lines won’t wait much longer if you want to have your homework finished for tomorrow.”

Steven groaned and hung his head, following after his mother.

“Goodnight, Emmy, dear,” Mrs. Shaw waved as Emmy saw them out. “Give young Luke all my best.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Shaw,” Emmy nodded. “Goodnight.”

Closing the door, she let out a sigh. What a day it had been. Luke’s teddy waited on the staircase for her, and Emmy picked up the bear, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad to have you back, little fella, and I’m sure Luke will be too.”

Upon Emmy’s return to the lounge, the Professor looked up at her and – actually smiled upon seeing she had the bear. He gave a soft chuckle.

“All is well that ends well, I see,” he commented quietly.

“I certainly hope so,” Emmy sighed with a nod. Setting the letter down on the table, she added, “This, he can read when he awakes.”

“A letter?” Layton asked, tilting his head.

“Of apology from a certain young man who will be very sorry if he tries anything like this again,” said Emmy in a steely voice. Then, she smiled, “and now, Mr. Bear and Mr. Triton can be reunited at last.”

Carefully, Emmy tucked the bear in next to Luke and fixed his blanket. Luke shifted, unconsciously tugging the bear closer and nuzzling at it, sleeping on while Emmy and Layton watched with smiles.

END


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